Sparx Systems Forum
Enterprise Architect => General Board => Topic started by: Alex9329 on September 27, 2017, 06:48:21 pm
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Hi!
I have a project now and the purpose of the project is to create an IT repository using Sparx EA.
I have been learning the features of Sparx for the last month and I find it not very good tool for creating Enterprise Architect. Sparx is more like a case-tool for me.
Could you please tell me, what type of an instrument Sparx is?
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The better question is what kind of "Enterprise Architect" are you trying to create?
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Could you please tell me, what type of an instrument Sparx is?
What types have you got?
Fundamentally, EA is a UML tool, and fundamentally, UML is a documentation method. If your enterprise architecture (which I assume is what you meant) is suitable for documenting this way, which in a large part depends on the level of UML skill in your organization, then it will work well; if not, it won't.
/Uffe
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I would like to create Full Architecture: all systems, all info flows between the systems, all business and data objects and many other things. So, I would like to see my model in different hierarchy views, but I can't
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What is your profession?
q.
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Complicated question...
I am IT consultant, business analyst, project manager(IT)
For the current project I provide consultations for Architects.
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So my advice as a consultant to a consultant: If you don't know a tool, do not recommend it. Like "Oh, what's that thing with that metal brick at one end of the wooden stick? Can I use it to open my breakfast egg?"
q.
P.S. Sparx is a company located in Australia. It's purpose should be to maintain Enterprise Architect.
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But, to answer your question. EA is perfectly suited to model your Enterprise Architecture.
The thing is that EA is a very complex tool with a near endless list of features. The art is to figure out which features you need, and which features you don't.
Geert
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... What EA does not provide, however, is a set of this-is-how-you-model-for-purpose-X templates.
It does support various modelling languages (UML, SysML, BPMN) and frameworks (TOGAF, UPDM). But it assumes that you already know how to use them, including tailoring them to your specific needs. It's not a turnkey enterprise architecture solution where you just need to plug in your company logo and it'll do everything for you.
But then, having seen time and again the devastation caused by supposedly turnkey solutions from IBM and their ilk, I rather think that's just as well.
/Uffe
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I would like to create Full Architecture: all systems, all info flows between the systems, all business and data objects and many other things. So, I would like to see my model in different hierarchy views, but I can't
I've done this many times in EA. Firstly you have to decide what you mean by "system" and "application" because you'll run in to problems discussing your models with others.
But anyway, start by creating all of your systems at the broad brush level as a UML component (a component can contain other components). Create all of your high level business objects/concepts as Information Items. Create Information Flows between the components, and convey the Information Items across them.
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I would like to create Full Architecture: all systems, all info flows between the systems, all business and data objects and many other things. So, I would like to see my model in different hierarchy views, but I can't
I've done this many times in EA. Firstly you have to decide what you mean by "system" and "application" because you'll run in to problems discussing your models with others.
But anyway, start by creating all of your systems at the broad brush level as a UML component (a component can contain other components). Create all of your high level business objects/concepts as Information Items. Create Information Flows between the components, and convey the Information Items across them.
(my emphasis) In my experience, this is one of the most difficult things. To which I'll add... Then you need to ensure that your definitions map to reality. So that each object you've defined as one or the other passes the "Bjelke-Petersen Duck Test": "If it quacks like a duck and it walks like a duck, it'll get shot like a duck, my word it will!"
We believe we have solved this problem, but humans being humans, steadfastly refuse to accept the solution. (For example, a recent survey in Oz showed (apparently) 30% of people in Oz believe in Aliens, 30% believe in Angels (not necessarily Christian Angels), yet 40% believe Climate Change is not real).
Enjoy the ride!
Paolo
BTW: In my experience, when people use the unqualifed term "Application", they DON'T mean the unqualified term "Application".
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Ducks aside. Supporting any area of business there is generally an ecosystem of software, ranging from software from large well known vendors to home grown scripts. Some people like to call this "the x system" or the "the x application". Personally - based solely on the actual meaning of the words - I like to use system from the broader container (or containers) and only use application for discretely deployed pieces of software. I've had other architects vehemently disagree.
But really - apart from the fact they're wrong - at the UML level you use a component element for both and it doesn't make a difference for creating a landscape diagram. At the lower levels when your components become things you discretely deploy you can start to use assemblies between components and swap conceptual objects for something more representational of the actual payload.
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Hello Alex,
the most widely accepted definition of Enterprise Architecture is provided by the Open Group via the TOGAF standard. TOGAF is 100% free and all of it is available at
http://pubs.opengroup.org/architecture/togaf9-doc/arch/ (http://pubs.opengroup.org/architecture/togaf9-doc/arch/)
UML is widely accepted as one of the better ways to generate the artifacts described in TOGAF.
Sparx provides a TOGAF plug-in module with all artifacts templates ready for use.
It doesn't get any easier or better than this. All the hard work is done for you... it's just a matter of rolling up your sleeves and getting to work.
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I would like to create Full Architecture: all systems, all info flows between the systems, all business and data objects and many other things. So, I would like to see my model in different hierarchy views, but I can't
I've done this many times in EA. Firstly you have to decide what you mean by "system" and "application" because you'll run in to problems discussing your models with others.
But anyway, start by creating all of your systems at the broad brush level as a UML component (a component can contain other components). Create all of your high level business objects/concepts as Information Items. Create Information Flows between the components, and convey the Information Items across them.
You mentioned "convey infoemation items across the info flows" - ok. I will convey but if I open the properties of Information Item, I won't see to which Info flows it belongs. Can I? Sparx is a rich featured instrument but it can't answer on some simple questions. More over if I make a link between 2 elements, I go to the properties of the element and I would like to go to the linked element from the properties of the first element. All that I can do is do go to the "link properties" from element properties. Or you know how can I go?
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So my advice as a consultant to a consultant: If you don't know a tool, do not recommend it. Like "Oh, what's that thing with that metal brick at one end of the wooden stick? Can I use it to open my breakfast egg?"
q.
P.S. Sparx is a company located in Australia. It's purpose should be to maintain Enterprise Architect.
Great advice but the thing is that I did not recommend this tool. The choice has been made without my participation. The company itself decided to choose the tool without the knowledge of the tool and then asked us to create the Architecture in this tool.
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:-X
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Ah. So that's the piece of information I wanted basically. Well, then sorry for being picky. I guess the others have pointed you in the right direction(s). There is no simple way to tackle an enterprise architecture. EA can do that definitively. But it's a quite long way and without knowing the tool you'll have a hard time (see my pun).
q.
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The traceability window combined with the EA Navigator add-in should answer most of your questions.
Geert
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mentioned "convey infoemation items across the info flows" - ok. I will convey but if I open the properties of Information Item, I won't see to which Info flows it belongs. Can I? Sparx is a rich featured instrument but it can't answer on some simple questions.
The Information Item doesn't "belong" to any of the Information Flows but I understand your point. I believe Geert's add on does this for you.
More over if I make a link between 2 elements, I go to the properties of the element and I would like to go to the linked element from the properties of the first element. All that I can do is do go to the "link properties" from element properties. Or you know how can I go?
That's not all you can do. Double click on the what you see in the links.
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Actually if you have the properties of a link open it means that you also have the link in focus (on a diagram). So you just dbl-click the two elements the link is attached to (one after the other).
q.
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I've used various tools like Sparx EA for the last 30 years in my profession. I've used Sparx EA for about 12 years now which I've used for the purposes of enterprise architecture, solution architecture, software architecture and engineering. Its probably the best value for money and feature rich tool on the market place today. The tool provides all the core features for enterprise architecture with the ability to draw diagrams, manage objects and relationships aided by matrices and lists all stored in database. The database can be from one of many mainstream vendors such as MS Access, MS SQL, Oracle etc. Sparx EA also has a very rich document generation ability too. It can be configured and customised and its use is only limited by your imagination. Yes it very feature rich and so the learning curve can be very steep and a bit overwhelming to the inexperienced.
So first of all if you want to use Sparx EA to store and manage Enterprise Architecture of a business you need two things. An expert in Enterprise Architecture and an expert in Sparx EA. They could be the same person or two individuals. If you are lacking these then start looking as trying to learn both is probably a learning curve most mortals would find hard to climb for the short duration of a project.
Second like any problem you need to break it down. Who needs to use the tool and for what purpose? A use case model can help. During this discovery phase you should ask what Enterprise Architecture Framework are you going to base your work upon?
TOGAF, DODAF, ArchiMate and Zachman to name but a few. Other questions to ask are what viewpoints and elements will the stakeholders need and what data should those elements have to be useful to the stakeholders. Then prototype each use case in the tool to see how you would do it.
For enterprise architecture work I use a customised version of ArchiMate MDG (added extra features and attributes to the elements) and follow the Archimate V3.01 standard along with TOGAF V9.1. I also use various books like Enterprise Architecture At Work by Marc Lankhorst et al to guide me.
I have a meta model based on ArchiMate that describes all the elements and relationships along with a catalogue of viewpoints mapped to stakeholders. I based my catalogue of view points on the TOGAF and ArchiMate List.
These all allow me to cover everything in the enterprise from strategy, motivations for change, current states of business, data, application and infrastructure as well as future states and roadmaps to guide the organisation there.
So to re-iterate if you don't have the knowledge and experience in both methodology and tool then you need to find someone to help in one or both of these areas otherwise you will be doomed to fail.
Finally from the words of Mark Twain - Apologies for writing such a long response for I did not have time to write a shorter one.
Hope that helps and good luck with your endeavour.
:)
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Sunshine: +1
(to help Mark Twain)
q.
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Sunshine: +1
(to help Mark Twain)
q.
+1 (Sunshine)
Paolo
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I've used various tools like Sparx EA for the last 30 years in my profession. I've used Sparx EA for about 12 years now which I've used for the purposes of enterprise architecture, solution architecture, software architecture and engineering. Its probably the best value for money and feature rich tool on the market place today. The tool provides all the core features for enterprise architecture with the ability to draw diagrams, manage objects and relationships aided by matrices and lists all stored in database. The database can be from one of many mainstream vendors such as MS Access, MS SQL, Oracle etc. Sparx EA also has a very rich document generation ability too. It can be configured and customised and its use is only limited by your imagination. Yes it very feature rich and so the learning curve can be very steep and a bit overwhelming to the inexperienced.
So first of all if you want to use Sparx EA to store and manage Enterprise Architecture of a business you need two things. An expert in Enterprise Architecture and an expert in Sparx EA. They could be the same person or two individuals. If you are lacking these then start looking as trying to learn both is probably a learning curve most mortals would find hard to climb for the short duration of a project.
Second like any problem you need to break it down. Who needs to use the tool and for what purpose? A use case model can help. During this discovery phase you should ask what Enterprise Architecture Framework are you going to base your work upon?
TOGAF, DODAF, ArchiMate and Zachman to name but a few. Other questions to ask are what viewpoints and elements will the stakeholders need and what data should those elements have to be useful to the stakeholders. Then prototype each use case in the tool to see how you would do it.
For enterprise architecture work I use a customised version of ArchiMate MDG (added extra features and attributes to the elements) and follow the Archimate V3.01 standard along with TOGAF V9.1. I also use various books like Enterprise Architecture At Work by Marc Lankhorst et al to guide me.
I have a meta model based on ArchiMate that describes all the elements and relationships along with a catalogue of viewpoints mapped to stakeholders. I based my catalogue of view points on the TOGAF and ArchiMate List.
These all allow me to cover everything in the enterprise from strategy, motivations for change, current states of business, data, application and infrastructure as well as future states and roadmaps to guide the organisation there.
So to re-iterate if you don't have the knowledge and experience in both methodology and tool then you need to find someone to help in one or both of these areas otherwise you will be doomed to fail.
Finally from the words of Mark Twain - Apologies for writing such a long response for I did not have time to write a shorter one.
Hope that helps and good luck with your endeavour.
:)
Thank you very much for the answer. You mentioned such thing as " For enterprise architecture work I use a customised version of ArchiMate MDG. I have a meta model based on ArchiMate that describes all the elements and relationships along with a catalogue of viewpoints mapped to stakeholders. I based my catalogue of view points on the TOGAF and ArchiMate List."
Could you please show me some screenshots or maybe share the example of your work. It will definitely help me.. I would like to understand and to see how you have organized catalogs and mappings, viewpoints and some example of metamodel.
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I'd recommend to start with basic Archimate and in parallel to study https://books.google.de/books/about/Mastering_Archimate_Edition_II.html?id=cZaeoAEACAAJ&source=kp_cover&redir_esc=y (https://books.google.de/books/about/Mastering_Archimate_Edition_II.html?id=cZaeoAEACAAJ&source=kp_cover&redir_esc=y)
q.
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Thanks! I know about Archimate and I and my collegues are using it. I just would like sime example of how can I organize everything in Sparx
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And metamodel example in sparx
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Thanks! I know about Archimate and I and my collegues are using it. I just would like sime example of how can I organize everything in Sparx
Use the TOGAF content meta-model as the basis for your package structure. If it doesn't have a place to file something there's a good chance you're doing something wrong.
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Thank you very much for the answer. You mentioned such thing as " For enterprise architecture work I use a customised version of ArchiMate MDG. I have a meta model based on ArchiMate that describes all the elements and relationships along with a catalogue of viewpoints mapped to stakeholders. I based my catalogue of view points on the TOGAF and ArchiMate List."
Could you please show me some screenshots or maybe share the example of your work. It will definitely help me.. I would like to understand and to see how you have organized catalogs and mappings, viewpoints and some example of metamodel.
Sorry pretty much everything I do is for clients is usually confidential so can't share.
However, if you go to www.opengroup.org (http://www.opengroup.org) all the standards on ArchiMate meta model and view points are there. Similarly for TOGAF. Also Marc Lankhurst the main author of ArchiMate works for bizzdesign and he has a blog with some good stuff on using ArchiMate etc http://blog.bizzdesign.com/ (http://blog.bizzdesign.com/)
Another place to check out is https://www.orbussoftware.com/ (https://www.orbussoftware.com/) as they provide some posters for viewpoints and metamodel.
The extensions I've added to the ArchiMate metamodel are mainly attributes. For example an I've added to application component attributes like Annual Support Cost, Security Classification, etc to help manage the applications.
How I organise the Sparx Model for enterprise architecture is something like this. As Glassboy says its in align TOGAF. I mainly follow ArchiMate as thats the language I use in combo with UML and BPMN. There is some work going on to align the ArchiMate and TOGAF to use same metamodel.
Enterprise Architecture Model
Motivations
Catalogues
Diagrams
Strategy
Catalogues
Diagrams
Business
Catalogues
Diagrams
Application and Data
Catalogues
Diagrams
Technology
Catalogues
Diagrams
Implementation and Migration
Catalogues
Diagrams
Document Generation
Subject A
Model Doc X
Model Doc Y
Subject B
Model Doc Z
I keep the doc gen separate from the main model so I can generate the enterprise architecture model as HTML making it available to everyone in the organisation. I keep the diagrams separate from the catalogs of objects to make sharing of the objects easier. The downside when you create new objects on a diagram they are stored in the same package as the diagram and you have to lift and shift them into the catalog package.
Like I said before the learning curve is massive for both Enterprise Architecture Discipline and the Sparx EA tool so you really need to bring in some experts. My colleagues call me an expert but I still sometimes struggle with some aspects from time to time and I've been using Sparx EA for Enterprise Architecture over a decade now.
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I'd recommend to start with basic Archimate and in parallel to study https://books.google.de/books/about/Mastering_Archimate_Edition_II.html?id=cZaeoAEACAAJ&source=kp_cover&redir_esc=y (https://books.google.de/books/about/Mastering_Archimate_Edition_II.html?id=cZaeoAEACAAJ&source=kp_cover&redir_esc=y)
q.
To add to that I use the archimate standard, various whitepapers from the open group and Enterprise Architecture At Work by Marc Lankhurst.
https://www.amazon.com/Enterprise-Architecture-Work-Communication-Engineering/dp/3662539322/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1507170872&sr=1-1&keywords=enterprise+architecture+at+work (https://www.amazon.com/Enterprise-Architecture-Work-Communication-Engineering/dp/3662539322/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1507170872&sr=1-1&keywords=enterprise+architecture+at+work)
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Like I said before the learning curve is massive for both Enterprise Architecture Discipline and the Sparx EA tool so you really need to bring in some experts. My colleagues call me an expert but I still sometimes struggle with some aspects from time to time and I've been using Sparx EA for Enterprise Architecture over a decade now.
I ran into someone on the street the other day who said something along the lines of it's really only the pair of us in town who have a decent grasp on modelling an enterprise using tools like EA. So you can probably have expert, but "dedicated" is probably closer to your reputation. :-)